JeffChip: Something to be Thankful For
by iepidemic
Summary: In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm back with a Cheff one-shot! Find out how Chip's EX-wife Patty will react to some very huge news over Thanksgiving dinner! Does contain a little bit of slash, so don't like, don't read. PLEASE REVIEW.


"This is so stupid," Jeff fumed, buttoning up the last buttons on his suit. "This'll be fun!" Chip responded, doing the same with his own shirt. "What's the big deal anyways?" The younger man shrugged. "It'll be weird. Just because you and Patty are divorced doesn't mean that your family would be alright with you dating me. Besides, vegetarians aren't big on turkey dinners anyhow." Chip placing a reassuring peck on his cheek. "There's gonna be plenty of other food. You'll be fine," he reiterated for the hundredth time tonight. "I don't want you to be alone on Thanksgiving, Jeff."

He sighed dejectedly and ran a hand through his jet black hair, reminiscing over past holidays. But now with mom gone, dad not speaking to him, and brother away in the Bahamas, he had no one to be with except for his boyfriend. "Fine. But there better be drinks," he caved, earning a beaming grin from Chip. "Totally! Oh, this is gonna be great." Jeff couldn't help but indulge Chip's excitement, involuntarily smiling back. "It will be."

They walked out of Jeff's apartment and out into the street, hailing a taxi and soon on their way to Chip's ex-wife's house. After a moment of silence, Jeff had to ask. "Why isn't it awkward for you two?" He smiled knowingly, wisely even. "I guess I just handled it well. It's not like either of us did anything wrong, I just wasn't there enough, between Whose Live and N'est Pas," he explained. The blank stare on Jeff's face told him that he should elaborate on that last part. "N'est Pas? The band I sing and play guitar in? Anyways, I still love my kids, and I don't hate Patty."

"Jesus, even after getting divorced you manage to still sound so frickin' perfect," Jeff teased playfully. "I'm sure you'd do the same thing if you were in my position." They stared at each other for a moment and then cracked up, not able to keep a straight face. "Well luckily you don't have to be in my position," he clarified right before they pulled up in front of the large, 3 story house.

"This is it. You ready?" Jeff took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. "I feel like I'm in fucking high school again, trying to get the approval of my date's parents." Chip's face lit up at the idea. "You really feel that way?" he asked tentatively. "Honestly? Yes. Now can we just do this?" The two walked up to the door and Chip rang the doorbell. "Lost the privilege of just walking in when you got booted out I see," Jeff observed. "I didn't get kicked out, I decided to leave!" the elder said defensively, pouting just a little.

Suddenly the door swung open, Patty standing there smiling like the epitome of an American mom. "Hey Charles. And Jeff, nice to see you!" He put on a boyish grin and kissed her hand. "You haven't aged a day my dear." She blushed and giggled, merely stepping aside and allowing Chip to lead them in. "After you, _Charles_," he smirked to him quietly, resulting in a nudge in the ribs.

Before they were even two feet in the door, they heard, "Daddy!" from three children. Instantly Chip dropped down to their level and was radiating with joy, not having seen them in weeks. "Oh, Daddy's missed you guys so much!" Each child tried to talk over the other, babbling on about something cool that happened, desperately vying for their father's attention. And they certainly had it. Jeff could see how devoted he was to them, and a small smile became him. _One day I'd like to know how that feels. To be that devoted and involved._

Jeff took a seat on the leather couch, feeling out of place and in need of a drink. _You're doing this for him. Just keep reminding yourself of that._ "Can I get you anything?" Patty asked him. "A scotch would be lovely," he crooned, glad to watch her trot back to the kitchen to fetch one. Chip came over to him and sat down, resisting the urge to put an arm around his shoulders. "The game's on," he suggested quietly, but Jeff shrugged it off. "It's alright."

"Everything's just about ready," Patty chirped as she handed him his drink. "Chip mentioned that you don't eat meat, but don't worry, I cooked plenty of other things." Jeff snuck him a sly glance, raising his eyebrows at the knowledge of Chip talking about him. "You're a doll, thank you." She giggled childishly again and hopped back over to the kitchen, beginning to bring out all the plates.

"Here, I'll help," Chip hollered to her, getting up and following her. Jeff grabbed his ass discreetly, unable to resist that temptation. Chip looked back at him and scoffed, but put a little more bounce into his step as he walked away, Jeff's eyes on him the whole time. After watching plate after plate of food be brought out, Patty yelled through the house, "Dinnertime! Everyone wash up!" Jeff came up to Chip, trying to put on his most innocent face. "I have to powder my nose, can you lead me to your facilities?" he asked in a mock British accent. Chip laughed and led him down to the end of the hall.

He flipped on the light switch to the bathroom and stepped out, giving Jeff his privacy. However, Jeff took his hand and yanked him in, closing the door behind him. He pressed his lips to his, Chip breaking away after a couple seconds. "I've been wanting to do that all night," Jeff breathed, kissing him again. "What if someone knocks on the door and needs to get in? We can't both walk out," Chip protested between gasps of air.

"That won't happen," he stated simply, as if it were a known fact. Before Chip could say another word, Jeff let his fingers grasp gently onto his soft brown hair, slipping his tongue into his mouth and letting it play. Neither could resist the other's touch, letting their hands wander and enjoying the brief moment of hurried lust.

"Guys, come on! Dinner, now!" they heard Patty yell from the dining room. Chip was the first one to break away and re-button his shirt that had so sneakily been undone. Jeff straightened up his suit, and kissed him just once, with that rare sense of tenderness about it. "The leash is being pulled, better get there front and center," Jeff joked, smacking Chip's ass once on his way to see his clueless family.

Dinner in and of itself was… not as awkward as anyone had thought. The good thing about having lots of children is that they can mostly run the conversation, always anxious to tell everyone about what they did at school, or that little Tommy got kissed by Susie at recess and has cooties now. Before anyone knew it, silverware was skewed across plates, everyone leaning back in their chair with that overly stuffed feeling.

"Can we go now?" the older son whined, and his wish was granted, Patty seeming eager to get them out of the room. "So…" she started carefully. "What's everyone thankful for?" she asked. The question caught Jeff off guard, Chip even more so. "What am I thankful for?" he repeated with a quizzical glance. "It's a simple question Chip, I'm just curious." Jeff piped up in an effort to relieve some of the tension. "Well I'm thankful for a place to go for Thanksgiving dinner," he chuckled as he sipped on his second or third scotch. "I'm thankful to have some sense of peace and well-being in my life now. Things feel better, and my life is going better. I have you to thank, Charles." Patty had a passive smirk on as she said it.

Jeff saw that that was like a stake through the heart for poor Chip. He failed in his attempts to keep his jaw from dropping, having no understanding of how different things would be as an ex-husband. "Oh. Well… good for you. I'm glad that things are better now for you," he managed. "But what am I thankful for?" He paused for just a moment, before a wide grin spread on his face.

"I'm thankful for Jeffery Bryan Davis." Chip held his hand, squeezing it lovingly and confidence in what he was doing. "It's nice to have a friend you can rely on," Patty retaliated with a slightly confused expression. "Oh no, he can be totally unreliable. He's a huge flirt and drinks more than a homeless Irish man for God's sake. But I've known him almost my whole life. And for the past 3 years, he's been my whole life."

There were now two semi-shocked expressions at looking at him. But Jeff's had an essence of belonging, of pride. "So Jeff…" Chip was actually going to do this. He looked right into those deep brown eyes of his and slowly got down on one knee. "Yeah?" he whispered coarsely. "Will you marry me?" Chip was biting the inside of cheek in anticipation, anxiously awaiting the answer he so desired.

"Yes. Yes, Chip, yes." Jeff's voice was faltering, and his mind was racing. He didn't think twice about accepting, he just knew that that's what he wanted, what he needed. Chip stood up and kissed him with no regrets and not a care in the world. "Okay, is this some sort of joke?" Patty was furious and didn't understand that this was for real. "Is this your sick way of getting back at me?"

Chip merely shrugged as he held Jeff's hand and they walked toward the door. "Dinner was great, thank you for having me," Jeff said charmingly, sarcasm just barely noticeable. "Just get out of my house. Out," she growled. The two walked off hand in hand and his children came up to the door but were stopped by their mother and not allowed to follow him out. "Mommy, how come Daddy and that man just kissed?" the youngest child asked.

Patty let out an exasperated sigh. "Because… that's how love is. And it's… it's something to be thankful for."


End file.
